Grape vine needs some help

My friend has a grape vine in his conservatory (name not known) it is some years old and produces several bunches of grapes each year. It has been infected with what I think is mealy bug, it has cotton wool and web like infection in the bud joints and is seeping some kind of sticky liquid, this infection is slowly spreading along the vines. I know nothing about this type of vine can anyone give me any help. We are not sure if we should cut back hard or just try and treat the mealy bug.

Thanks in anticipation

Sue

Web-like? It rings the "spider mite" bell in my head. But white wollies are almost always mealy. Poking one of the devils and having a look at it will prove if it is. Avoid systemics as it could poison the grapes. Have you posted to the pest forum? Good Luck,
K. James

Thanks for your reply I will post in the pest forum.

Sue

Do you have any good brands of organic insecticidal soap available there in the UK? For instance, over here one of the most popular brands is "Safer".

I've used this successfully against both spider mites & mealybug on many different plants, including orchids. In a greenhouse situation where you might not want to start spraying serious chemical pesticides or use systemics (which I too would advise against), this might be something to try.

I wouldn't cut the plant back before treating it somehow, as cutting back will stress it somewhat, & if it's already weakened by pests, you could end up killing it.

Hi

Sorry my reply is so late, but thanks to everyone for your advice. I printed off some info and gave it to my friend but he had already cut the vine down pretty hard.

Regards

Sue